Local Goa News

Sunday, July 31, 2016

Govt has granted 1,368 liquor licences since coming to power

10,911 valid licences in the State; Bardez has the highest number of liquor licences

PANJIM: The BJP-led government has granted 1,368 liquor licences in the State in the last four-and-half years while it has suspended 293 licences since April 2012.
This information was provided on the Floor of the House during the ongoing session of the State Assembly by Chief Minister Laxmikant Parsekar, who is also Minister for Excise. There are 10,911 valid licences in the State.
It is to be noted that the National Family Health Survey (NFHS) 2015-16 has indicated that the instance of men and women consuming alcohol in Goa has gone up compared to the statistics gathered a decade ago.
A total of 439 licences have been issued for the retail sale of Indian made foreign liquor (IMFL) and foreign liquor since 2012. The total of such valid licenses is 7,428. This is followed by retail sale of IMFL and foreign liquor licenses which is 341. There are 1,807 such permissions legal.
The government has granted permission for 284 outlets for retail sale of foreign made liquor. There are 802 licences operational in the State.
The government was responding to a question tabled by BJP MLA Glenn Ticlo, who sought to know the details of liquor licences issued in the State. Currently there are 204 valid wholesale licences issued for IMFL while 46 licences for foreign liquor wholesale.
Bardez taluka has the highest number of liquor licences which are 3361, followed by Salcete (2172) and Tiswadi (1278). Sattari had the lowest number of licences (228), followed by Sanguem (326).
As per the data, for the year 2012-13, six liquor licences were cancelled; while in 2013-14 the number went up to 23 and further rose to 76 in 2014-15. The year 2015-16 saw the maximum number of licences getting cancelled – 148. For the current financial year, up to June end, 40 licences have been cancelled.
The Chief Minister said liquor licences are cancelled on account of requests made by the licensee, or upon an offence committed under provisions of Goa Excise Duty Act, 1964.